Packnett of Parkview, Snyder of Indiana Tech add a little Swagger to honors

News-Sentinel staff reports

Friday, November 9, 2012 - 9:00 am

The Fort Wayne-Allen County Economic Development Alliance handed out Swagger Awards to 54 businesses Thursday in recognition of their contribution to Fort Wayne-Allen County's economic growth in 2011.

The third annual awards ceremony, held at the Philmore on Broadway, was attended by more than 150 guests, including Deputy Mayor Mark Becker and Allen County Commissioners Nelson Peters, Linda Bloom and Therese Brown.

The Maclyn Parker Swagger Award, an award given to individuals who exemplify strong advocacy in economic development throughout our community, was given to two recipients.

Mike Packnett, president and chief executive officer of Parkview Hospital, was honored on behalf of Allen County. With 8,300 employees, Parkview Health serves communities throughout northeast Indiana and northwest Ohio and is the largest employer in northeast Indiana.

Arthur Snyder, president of Indiana Tech, was honored on behalf of the city of Fort Wayne.

Indiana Tech's enrollment has more than doubled in the past 10 years, and the university now serves more than 7,000 students including 2,000 at the main campus, 1600 E. Washington Blvd. The university employs about 300 full- and part-time staff and faculty, as well as many more adjunct faculty who share their workplace expertise in the classroom.

In March, Parkview Health opened the new Parkview Regional Medical Center near Interstate 69 and Dupont Road. The state-of-the-art medical center is designed to improve access to quality health care for the entire region. A $536 million investment, over 3 million man-hours were worked with more than 3,600 construction workers on the job site over the course of the project.

“Our goal for the Parkview Regional Medical Center was to create a health care facility like no other in the region,” said Packnett, according to a news release. “We are proud of the staff and physicians who provide excellent care there every day. We are also proud of the economic impact this facility has had on our community through construction and even now as we continue to grow. We also continue to invest in Parkview Hospital Randallia with new services being offered on that campus as well.”

Indiana Tech will open the doors to its new law school in 2013. The new school will be a significant milestone for Indiana Tech and Fort Wayne in attracting more talent . Throughout Snyder's 10-year tenure, the campus has had a stream of new construction projects including residence halls and athletic facilities.

The total investment for Indiana Tech's latest construction projects is more than $50 million.

“I am very grateful for this honor because I see it as recognition of Indiana Tech's efforts to help this community thrive,” Snyder said, according to the news release. “Our growth, including the opening of the law school next year, will continue to bring talent and resources to Fort Wayne and Allen County for decades to come while our graduates become highly qualified assets to the workforce.”

The Swagger Awards' gold-level sponsors were Fort Wayne-Allen County Airport Authority, Parkview Hospital, and Indiana Tech. Silver sponsors were NIPSCO and General Motors.